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Boomers Are Searching For Answers On How To Stay Healthy For An Active Retirement

New Research from Kellogg's and the Publishers of Prevention Shows More Than Half of Boomers Say They Would Make Healthier Decisions If They Knew How It Impacted Them

Aug 28, 2013

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the boomer generation is not just planning for a quiet, slow-paced retirement. They're making major changes and pursuing lifelong goals, eager to enjoy this phase in their lives. But according to a study commissioned by Kellogg's® in partnership with the publishers of Prevention magazine1, while boomers desire a healthy, active retirement, one-third don't know where to start and many are generally overlooking their health, nutrition and fitness. However, more than half of boomers say they would make healthier decisions if they knew how it impacted them.

Behavior Doesn't Match Belief. The study found that while 81 percent of boomers believe eating a healthy diet is important, 49 percent spend more time worrying about their finances than their health. Additionally, one out of three skips breakfast on a regular basis and nearly half of the boomers surveyed are not familiar with their cholesterol levels or body mass index (BMI) – but 86 percent of boomers know their checking account balance and 81 percent know their credit card balance.

A few additional key findings from the survey include:

Boomers say nutrition is the most important factor in deciding food purchases.

Younger boomers are caught in the sandwich generation and don't have time to focus on their health.

Close to 50 percent reported that health is important to them but they're too busy to focus on it compared to around 30 percent of their older counterparts.

The number one thing boomers want to do in retirement is spend more time with family.

To help boomers navigate and maintain a healthy lifestyle, Kellogg's has partnered with Cheryl Forberg RD, one of the nation's leading advisors on health and nutrition. Forberg is also a New York Times bestselling author and James Beard award-winning chef.

"It can be difficult to stay on a healthy lifestyle track in any stage of life, but it gets increasingly harder as we get older," said Forberg. "The survey found incredible statistics on how the boomer generation wants to be healthy but doesn't know how to achieve that. The solution can be as easy as taking simple, daily steps, such as eating breakfast and exercising regularly."

Healthy Living Tips for an Active Retirement

To start boomers along the path toward a healthy and active retirement, Kellogg's and Cheryl Forberg offer several healthy living tips that can be adopted easily into everyday lifestyle:

Start The Day Off Right: Eating breakfast helps jumpstart your metabolism, provides fuel for your body and can be a great way to get fiber – an important nutrient we all need. Start your morning with a breakfast that provides fiber, like a bowl of cereal, to help you reach your recommended daily fiber intake.

Create Muscle Mass: Our muscle mass tends to decrease as we age, but the good news is you can help slow that down! Muscles burn more calories than fat, so add weight resistance exercises to your workouts a few times a week to help build a healthier body and also improve your metabolism.

Keep In Motion: A healthy lifestyle means a well-balanced diet and keeping your body moving. It's easy to go right for the couch after a meal, but go for a 30-minute walk instead.

A Breakfast Surprise: Eating a balanced diet can be a hard task, but the good news is that you can get a jump start on your daily nutrition at breakfast! Antioxidants, potassium, omega-3 and wheat bran fiber are all important nutrients that you can get with a simple bowl of cereal.

Eating Kellogg's cereal can be a simple daily change that can help yield positive returns. In fact, Kellogg's has a whole range of cereals that provide positive nutrition, such as:

Kellogg's Raisin Bran® – an excellent source of fiber and a good source of potassium. Kellogg's Raisin Bran is a great heart-healthy breakfast option to start the day with*.

Kellogg's Raisin Bran Omega-3® – Kellogg's is launching a new variety of the boomer favorite – another heart-healthy option. It has two scoops of sun-ripened raisins in every box and boasts flaxseeds that provide 250mg of omega-3 ALA oils and five grams of fiber per serving.

Kellogg's Special K®, - provides many delicious varieties to help with weight management goals, including Special K Protein® and new Special K Nourish®

Kellogg's All-Bran Original® – is made with wheat bran fiber, a concentrated source of fiber that helps maintain regularity and digestive balance

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), we are driven to enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter. With 2012 sales of $14.2 billion, Kellogg is the world's leading cereal company; second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks; and a leading North American frozen foods company. Every day, our well-loved brands nourish families so they can flourish and thrive. These brands include Kellogg's®, Keebler®, Special K®, Pringles®, Frosted Flakes®, Pop-Tarts®, Corn Flakes®, Rice Krispies®, Kashi®, Cheez-It®, Eggo®, Coco Pops®, Mini-Wheats®, and many more. Because we believe in the power of breakfast, we focus our philanthropic efforts global hunger relief through our Breakfasts for Better Days™ initiative, providing 1 billion servings of cereal and snacks - more than half of which are breakfast - to children and families in need by the end of 2016. To learn more about our responsible business leadership, foods that delight and how we strive to make a difference in our communities around the world, visit www.kelloggcompany.com.

1 The study, conducted by Edelman Berland, is based on quantitative data collected from a national online survey of 1,000 adults aged 48-67 (i.e. 'Baby Boomers') in the United States. The data was collected between July 3 and July 11, 2013. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.1%.

*While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease